After a long wait, the highly anticipated title for JRPG players worldwide, "FINAL FANTASY XVI," is finally set for its official release on the 22nd.
This new installment, led by the renowned producer Naoki Yoshida who famously turned around "Final Fantasy XIV," has captured players' attention even before its release with its somber storyline and incredibly spectacular Eikon battles. Coupled with the trust in Producer Yoshida, many players have already deemed this the birth of another masterpiece in the FF series without even touching the game.
Following the vast open world of "Final Fantasy XV," can this new title truly reach new heights? Let's dive into this new game with a brief hands-on preview to find out!
Due to pre-release review restrictions, we cannot discuss any plot details with you. We can only provide a general overview of the basic world-building.
The story is set in Valisthea, a world divided into two continents. As a terrifying natural phenomenon known as the Blight gradually consumes the land, people are forced to seek refuge around giant Mothercrystals. The five remaining nations rely on "Dominants," individuals who host Eikons, to wage war against each other, causing humanity's living space to shrink ever smaller. The protagonist, Clive, is born in the Grand Duchy of Rosaria, one of these nations, but a sudden tragedy leads to a dramatic turn in his life... In short, it's a cruel story with a world view somewhat reminiscent of "A Song of Ice and Fire."
▼ The tone is far more somber than previous entries, which in some ways is very characteristic of Yoshida's style.
The gameplay is a linear action RPG. The map design this time is incredibly meticulous, with every scene truly living up to next-gen standards and almost always featuring expansive combat arenas, showing that action game design was a key consideration. However, the main story progression is very linear. Players can easily reach their objectives simply by following the guides, with few hidden locations or places worth lingering. This might be a bit of a letdown for players who enjoy exploration. During the main story, combat begins seamlessly upon encountering an enemy.
▼ Although there are some very large maps, the need for exploration isn't very high, making it feel more like a level-based design.
In contrast to the map exploration, the combat system is a massive leap forward. It's completely different from the command-based compromises seen in "Final Fantasy XV" and "Final Fantasy VII Remake." This time, the combat gameplay is closer in style to Capcom's "Devil May Cry."
Besides the fast-paced, evasion-based combat, the game's biggest feature is that players can wield several different Eikonic ability sets simultaneously, switching between them quickly with the L2 button. While the basic combat controls are shared, each Eikon allows the player to equip two different active abilities and one special technique, which serves as the core of that Eikon's style.
▼ Each new Eikon adds another ability board to learn from, but you can only equip two skills from the same board at a time.
▼ The combinations of Eikonic abilities can create a wide variety of dazzling combos.
For example, the starting Eikon, Phoenix, has the special technique "Phoenix Shift," which allows you to quickly close the distance to an enemy to start an assault. Garuda, on the other hand, has "Deadly Embrace," a special technique that throws out a claw to suspend yourself in the air, pull enemies closer, or even, if used when an opponent's Will gauge (similar to an armor or super armor bar) is at 50%, pull them to the ground for additional damage.
▼ Deadly Embrace can pull smaller enemies, and with good timing, can even topple large enemies to the ground.
Other active abilities also have various effects, with many designed specifically for countering certain attacks and combos. Therefore, skilled players can perform gorgeous attack strings by flexibly switching between Eikons. The combo possibilities are very free and varied, and the satisfaction level is high. The game also features systems like the "Limit Break," which allows you to transform into a semi-primed state, further increasing combat variety. Although the enemy lock-on and camera controls can be a bit inconvenient at times, the gameplay in this area is undeniably excellent.
▼ The Phoenix active ability "Heatwave" can counter projectiles, making it perfect for bosses that use magic bullets.
▼ Garuda's active ability "Gouge" can inflict heavy damage while dodging an attack. Switch Eikons to deal with different attacks!
▼ Since there is no block in this game, combat is fundamentally centered around perfect dodges, giving it a slight feel of the "Marvel's Spider-Man" series.
▼ The ultimate ability animations for each ability board are also quite a sight to behold. For example, Phoenix's "Flames of Rebirth" can incinerate all nearby enemies at once.
By the way, it doesn't matter if you're not good at action games. In addition to the "Action Focused" gameplay style, there's also a "Story Focused" mode with simpler controls. The game even provides several accessories that offer automated assistance to help you in battle. So even if you're not skilled with the controls, you can easily enjoy "FINAL FANTASY XVI."
▼ Even those who struggle with action games can easily get into it, thanks to an abundance of accessibility features.
Aside from regular combat, the Eikon vs. Eikon battles, which are more focused on spectacle, are another major highlight. Although they only occur at the climax of the story, each battle is packed with power. In my opinion, it has a bit of the flavor of the PS3-era masterpiece "Asura's Wrath."
When an Eikon battle is triggered, the player-controlled Ifrit will engage in a spectacular fight with other Eikons. The controls here are much simpler than in human form. You can perform an awesome flaming charge to break through enemy barrages and follow up attacks with magic for powerful moves like Burst. The battles feature numerous QTEs that fully allow players to feel the world-shattering power of the Eikons. I won't say more on this part; I'll let you players experience the show for yourselves!
▼ The Eikon battles, which can only be triggered at key story moments, got this kaiju fan so excited I could barely see straight.
▼ While the controls in Eikon battles are simple, the spectacle is arguably the strongest in the entire game.
▼ Every QTE packs a serious punch, and the destruction of the surrounding environment is magnificent.
▼ Later in the game, the Eikon controls become progressively more complex, approaching the intricacy of human-form combat, and of course, the arenas get bigger and bigger.
In conclusion, compared to its predecessors, "FINAL FANTASY XVI" is indeed a very different kind of FF game.
Whether it's the "A Song of Ice and Fire"-like world, the exhilarating action gameplay, or the Eikon battles on par with "Legendary's Godzilla," everything feels fresh and new, and you can see many strengths inherited from "Final Fantasy XIV." On the other hand, because the game leans so heavily into the action genre, the joy of character progression and the strategic depth of traditional JRPGs are almost non-existent in this title. The overly linear game progression and somewhat uninteresting side quests also feel like a bit of a shame. It's a game with a relatively narrow target audience, and one that will likely receive polarized reviews.
But if you love action games, or if you're willing to try a new style of FF, then "FINAL FANTASY XVI" is absolutely worth a play. The game is releasing exclusively on PS5 on the 22nd. If you're interested, be sure to download it and experience the most thrilling and shocking Eikon battles in the series' history!
Finally, here's a look at the game's Eikon battles. If you like what you see, be sure to purchase it soon!
"Final Fantasy XVI" Personal Summary:
Degree of Unconventionality:★★★★★
Combat & Controls:★★★★★★
Spectacle & Presentation:★★★★★★★
Content Richness:★★★